I just wanted to take moment and thank the cocoon community.
Cocoon kicks butt.
I make small to medium small business / personal web applications. Nothing fancy, basically alot of xsp + xsl templates (These alone match PHP I think) After the initial learning curve (which seems to extend a bit whenever I need something new), cocoon delivers speed and maintainability.
I enjoy watching the dev list to see what is coming next. I have a lot of trouble with java in general (learning as I go with no formal training). However I hate PHP and perl now. I actually regret the time I spent developing with them.
The time saved from endless hours of scanning thousands of lines of php code to change ridiculous things like html table layouts, or an email notification has allowed me to keep my small-town, small business viable. I am able to work at home with my wife and children around me.
There are alot of ambitious goals for cocoon, and sometimes the lists gets so excited about new stuff, they might miss what has already been accomplished. But for me, Cocoon's existence has made a HUGE difference in my work *and* my home life.
Thanks Guys :)
Thank you for letting us know.
Cocoon has this "something special" compared to other frameworks: it is a software that you have a personal relation with, a feeling I already encountered in a nearby domain with Macintosh computers. I don't exactly know where this feeling comes from with Cocoon: is it because there are always some different creative ways to achieve your goal, with this large box full of multi-colored Lego bricks? Is it because you "feel" your site when designing sitemap patterns? Is it because it allows fast yet powerful work? Is it because you just save-and-reload-and-wow!-it's-nice?
Comparing with Macs, I think the common point is that both allow you to manipulate very high level abstractions without seeing them, or at least not too much. This is clearly outlined when you express the pleasure you have to use these hundreds of thousands line of Java without mastering Java.
One sure thing is that the Cocoon community is a nice and friendly place to be. And this certainly explains why this community's baby is so enjoyable. Have you looked at Stefano's slides at the GetTogether? If not, go there, look at the pictures and you'll understand this.
BTW, can we see your sites on the internet ?
Sylvain
-- Sylvain Wallez Anyware Technologies http://www.apache.org/~sylvain http://www.anyware-tech.com { XML, Java, Cocoon, OpenSource }*{ Training, Consulting, Projects } Orixo, the opensource XML business alliance - http://www.orixo.com
